1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector in which a terminal fitting is press-fitted into a terminal holding portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,885 and Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. S55-57987 disclose connectors with a terminal fitting that is press-fit into a terminal holding portion. Each of these connectors has a terminal holding portion that interferes with four corners of a terminal fitting that has a wide rectangular cross-sectional shape. The terminal fitting is held at four corners so that a touching part to be connected with a contact portion of a mating terminal fitting does not interfere with the terminal holding portion. Thus, the touching part will not be damaged and resin will not adhere to the touching part so that connection reliability is improved. However, this terminal holding portion holds only the four corners of the terminal fitting. As a result, a sufficient terminal holding force cannot be obtained and the terminal fitting cannot be positioned accurately. U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,221 discloses a terminal fitting that interferes with a terminal holding portion over the entire periphery. Thus, the touching part interferes with the terminal holding portion to reduce connection reliability as described above.
Improved connection reliability for the press-fit terminal fitting, improved positioning accuracy for the press-fit terminal fitting and a sufficient terminal holding force for the press-fit terminal fitting are contradictory and it has been very difficult to fulfill these problems simultaneously.
The invention was developed in view of the above and an object is to improve connection reliability of a terminal fitting, increase a terminal holding force and/or improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal fitting.